Chapter 25: The Discipline of a Slacker
“Teacher Xiaoyu is my illustrator!?”
Looking at the message on her computer screen, Mu Yi widened her eyes in disbelief.
She carefully read the message sent by the editor.
It said: The artist for your new book’s cover and illustrations has been decided. It’s the comic artist Xiaoyu Lanshan.
Her eyes immediately lit up, like a little money lover who had just found treasure.
But in the next moment, she saw a second message from the editor.
Editor Mayonnaise: “Although the result is great, I still need to apologize. I asked someone to draw the lottery for you without asking for your permission first.”
Seeing this, Mu Yi froze for a moment. After a short pause, she came back to her senses and muttered softly,
“Asked someone to help… who did they ask?”
After asking more about it, Mu Yi learned that the editor had asked Gu Zhiren to draw the lottery this time.
Her excitement dropped a little right away.
Even though she knew Gu Zhiren was the main reason for this result, she didn’t want to thank him.
In fact, she felt that the one she should thank the most was the editor who asked him for help, not Gu Zhiren himself.
So she just replied with a simple “thank you,” without clearly saying who she was thanking.
Editor Mayonnaise: “By the way, are you free at 3 PM today? I’ve already confirmed with Xiaoyu Lanshan. Meeting at 3 PM is fine.”
Seeing this, Mu Yi nodded and replied that she was available.
After confirming the time and place, the chat ended, and Mu Yi’s lips curved into a wide smile.
In her mind, she imagined shaking hands with her idol and taking a photo together in the afternoon.
Mu Yi rubbed her hands excitedly.
She remembered hearing about another writer who, at an author event, finally met a senior they admired. When they tried to go up for a handshake, they got so nervous that they tripped and even knocked the senior to the ground.
She would never make such a low-level mistake!
“I need to dress up properly.”
Thinking of this, Mu Yi pushed herself up with her arms and slowly sat up from the sofa.
But accidentally, her still-sore butt rubbed against her jeans and the sofa cushion. A strange tingling feeling made her freeze in place, not daring to move.
She and Gu Zhiren were absolutely not on the same side!
If she ever got the chance, she would definitely pull off his pants and use his belt to hit him back hard.
Just imagining that scene felt very satisfying, right?
Thinking about that future, Mu Yi put on her loose slippers and walked toward the wardrobe.
As she walked, she started thinking, since she had written so much yesterday, maybe she should just rest today.
At the same time, Gu Zhiren’s assistant, Xiao Xi, was carrying a large paper bag and hurrying down the wide hallway until he reached Mu Yi’s door.
Knock, knock, knock…
“Excuse me, is Miss Mu Yi here?”
Hearing this, Mu Yi stopped walking. A hint of confusion appeared in her eyes. She glanced toward the door and scratched her head with her left hand.
“Miss Mu Yi…”
The voice sounded a bit familiar…
Staying cautious, she quickly walked over, took a deep breath, and opened the door just a small crack, tilting her head to look outside.
The person outside was Xiao Xi, dressed neatly in a suit.
“Miss Mu Yi, our general manager asked me to deliver something to you.”
Hearing this, Mu Yi lowered her head slightly and opened her mouth a bit.
Her confused eyes moved to the bag in Xiao Xi’s hand. She blinked her pretty eyes.
After thinking for a moment, she coughed lightly and refused in a soft voice,
“Sir, please take it back. And tell your general manager that I can’t accept this gift.”
Gu Zhiren sending her a gift? Like a fox paying respect to a chicken, definitely not with good intentions!
Only a fool would accept it.
But Xiao Xi only smiled calmly and said, “Miss Mu Yi worked really hard writing yesterday. So this gift is something you deserve.”
It was as if he had already expected this reaction and prepared his answer in advance.
Hearing this, Mu Yi frowned slightly, and worry appeared on her pretty face.
If there is a reward, there must also be punishment.
Giving her a reward now for working hard also meant that if she became lazy again, there would be punishment waiting for her. This didn’t feel like a simple gift at all.
It felt more like a warning not to lose motivation after a short burst!
Thinking about this, she swallowed nervously. She imagined what would happen if she really stopped updating today…
Gu Zhiren would come to find her and punish her even more harshly, making sure she remembered the lesson.
Maybe like last time, when he really pulled off her pants and hit her until her butt turned red… or even worse, taking things further and making things more embarrassing…
She shivered.
Well… she didn’t even have that anymore, so why should she be afraid?
How likely is it, in a person’s life, to meet someone like that anyway?
Thinking this, Mu Yi took a light breath, stepped back half a step, and opened the door.
“I see… if that’s the case, then I guess I do deserve it. I’ll accept it.”
She took the paper bag from Xiao Xi with a faint smile, though the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. Then she lowered her head to check what was inside.
She didn’t have high expectations for the gift itself. She was more interested in whether it was valuable enough to sell later.
After all, keeping something from Gu Zhiren at home would only make her uncomfortable.
But the moment she opened the bag, her pupils shrank, and her mouth opened wide again.
What is this…
Mu Yi froze.
Gu Zhiren had actually given her a dress, a low-cut black spaghetti-strap dress.
Just because she told him she was a man who could cross-dress, he sent her a dress? What kind of normal person does that?
Still… it must be expensive, right? Mu Yi’s hand holding the bag trembled slightly, and she even felt a bit hopeful.
But the next second, alarm bells rang in her mind. She felt things were not that simple. Thinking back to the kiss last night, he didn’t seem very uncomfortable at all.
He kissed a man and could still stay so calm? Look at her, the one who got kissed, she was a complete mess!
Something was definitely off about him.
Mu Yi’s expression became complicated.
She could even imagine a future where Gu Zhiren forced her to wear this dress, then pushed her onto the bed and did whatever he wanted.
What a jerk! She didn’t want to wear a dress and be controlled by him like that.
“Um… sir, may I ask how much this outfit costs?”
Mu Yi asked carefully.
“It’s not too much, eight thousand.”
Xiao Xi smiled helplessly as he answered.
“Ei… eight thousand…”
Mu Yi gasped. After thinking for a moment, she handed the bag back.
“I’m sorry, this gift is too expensive. Please take it back. Also, writing is my responsibility, so there’s no need for any reward.”
If she said it like this, she should be able to refuse it, right?
“The general manager said that if Miss Mu Yi doesn’t like this gift, then I should take you to a store so you can choose another one yourself. Please get ready and come with me.”
Xiao Xi said with a smile.
Hearing this, Mu Yi twitched her lips, completely speechless.